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Flower Drum Song (1961 film)
This is about '''the film.' For the stage musical, see Flower Drum Song (musical).'' Flower Drum Song is a 1961 musical film. Cast Singing cast *B.J. Baker - Linda Low (singing voice) *James Shigeta - Wang Ta *Miyoshi Umeki - Mei Li *Benson Fong - Wang Chi-Yang *Jack Soo - Samuel Adams "Sammy" Fong *Marilyn Horne - Helen Chao (singing voice) *John Dodson - Dr. Han Li (singing voice) *Victor Sen Yung - Frankie Wing *Soo Young - Madame Liang Non-singing cast *'Nancy Kawn' - Linda Low *Kam Tong - Dr. Han Li Plot A young woman named Mei Li emigrates from China to Chinatown, San Francisco as an illegal immigrant with her father. After landing, the Lis seek the address of Madam Fong, the mother of Sammy Fong, to whom Mei Li has been promised in an arranged marriage. While asking where to find Madam Fong, Mei Li performs a flower drum song to earn money. Sammy is the owner of a night club, the Celestial Gardens and is already romantically involved with his leading showgirl, Linda Low. The Lis arrive at the Celestial Gardens during a show. Sammy does his best to dissuade Mei Li from marrying him, introducing her to Madame Liang, the sister-in-law of Master Wang. Liang and Wang bemoan the gap between immigrants and their offspring as Master Wang's younger son, Wang San gives his own take on the gap to some younger children. Dissolving the marriage contract's harder than either imagined. Master Wang's persuaded by Madame Liang to allow Mei Li to fall in love naturally with Master Wang's eldest son, Wang Ta, and the Lis move in with Master Wang. But Wang Ta is dazzled by the charms of Linda, who flirts with him. He asks her to go on a date, and she convinces him to give her his fraternity pin to symbolize they are "going steady" during the date. When Mei Li sees Wang Ta sneaking back in after the date, she mistakes his friendly greeting as a welcome to the household and starts to warm to America. Linda plans to use Wang Ta to force a real commitment from Sammy Fong out of jealousy, but Sammy gets wind of her scheme when Linda attends a party to celebrate both Wang Ta's graduation from university and Madame Liang's graduation from citizenship classes. Madame Liang compares the citizens of America to a mix of different ingredients. At the party, Linda has Frankie Wing, the club emcee, pose as her brother to grant permission for Linda to marry Wang Ta. Mei Li, hearing this, becomes discouraged, while Ta and his father argue over his marriage plans. Ta argues that he is old enough to make his own decisions, but the father says that he will be the one to let Ta know when he is old enough. At the New Year's Parade, Linda rides on a float and sings about Grant Avenue, Chinatown's "western street with eastern manners". Sammy, in an effort to keep Linda from marrying Wang Ta, invites Wang Ta and his family to Celestial Gardens, where they see Frankie Wing recall girls he has known and Linda's nightclub act. Wang Ta is shocked at her performance. He leaves, distraught, accompanied by his friend since childhood, the seamstress Helen Chao. Chao also grew up in America and deeply loves Wang Ta. Ta becomes drunk in his misery over Linda, and Helen ends up letting him stay for the night in her apartment, where she declares her unrequited love. In the morning, Mei Li comes to deliver a burned coat for Helen to mend, and becomes distressed when she discovers Wang Ta's clothing in Helen's kitchen. When Wang Ta wakes up (seconds after Mei Li leaves), he still does not notice Helen's affections, even as she pleads for him to stay, and he leaves quickly. He goes to speak with Mei Li, now realizing that she is a better match for him than Linda Low, only to have Mei Li reject him, saying that she once loved him, but not anymore. She and her father leave Master Wang's house and pursue the marriage contract between Mei Li and Sammy Fong. Sammy has already proposed to Linda, who daydreams about wedded life. Unfortunately, now that Mei Li is pursuing Sammy again, he and Linda will be unable to marry as the contract with Mei Li is binding. Sammy enumerates his many faults in a last-ditch attempt to convince Mei Li to break the contract. Before the wedding, Wang Ta goes to see Mei Li, and they both realize that they are deeply in love with one another. They agree to try to come up with a way to get Mei Li out of her marriage contract. The day of the wedding, right before she is to sip from a goblet (which would seal her marriage to Sammy), Mei Li declares that, because she entered the United States illegally, the contract is null and void. Wang Ta can thus marry Mei Li, and Sammy decides to marry Linda right there as well, resulting in a double wedding. Musical numbers *"A Hundred Million Miracles" Mei Li, Dr. Li and Chorus *"The Other Generation" Wang Chi-Yang, Madame Liang and Sammy Fong *"I Enjoy Being a Girl" - Linda Low *"I Am Going to Like It Here" - Mei Li *"Chop Suey" Wang Ta, Madame Liang, Sammy Fong and Chorus *"Grant Avenue" Linda Low and Chorus *"Gliding Through My Memoree/Fan Tan Fanny" - Frankie Wing, Linda Low and Chorus *"Love Look Away" - Helen Chao *"Sunday" Sammy Fong and Linda Low *"You Are Beautiful" - Wang Ta *"Don't Marry Me" Sammy Fong and Mei Li *"Finale: Wedding Procession and Wedding Ceremony/End Title" - Mei Li, Linda Low and Chorus Category:Musical films